ENGLISH Engadin MAGAZINE No . 3 W I N T E R –––––– 2 0 / 2 1 MAGIC ENGLISH EDITION 2 3 Engadin Winter — 20/21 Dear guests, Ideally we would like to magic you straight over to our valley, Germany but unfortunately we are not able to do that just yet. Instead, you can come to us along a World Heritage railway line of fairy-tale charm, Austria or travel over the bewitching snow-covered mountains with your own SWITZERLAND France GRAUBÜNDEN sleigh. We’re waiting for you: with sparkling powder snow, all kinds of gastronomic wizardry and the purest ice in the world. ENGADIN Italy We wish you happy reading and a good journey – and we look forward to welcoming you here soon! The people of the Engadin Lej da Segl Lej m m m m m m Cover photograph by Filip Zuan Filip by photograph Cover m m m m m Piz Bernina, 4,049 Bernina, Piz Piz Palü, 3,905 Palü, Piz Piz Scerscen, 3,971 Scerscen, Piz 3,937 Roseg, Piz m Map: Rohweder Piz Cambrena, 3,604 Cambrena, Piz Piz Tremoggla, 3,441 Tremoggla, Piz Piz Fora, 3,363 Fora, Piz m m m Piz Lagalb, 2,959 Lagalb, Piz Diavolezza, Diavolezza, 2,978 Piz Led, 3,088 Led, Piz Piz Corvatsch, 3,451 Corvatsch, Piz Diavolezza 3,433 Murtèl, Piz m Lago Bianco Lagalb Piz Lavirun, 3,058 Lavirun, Piz Val Forno Italy Punta Casana, 3,007 Casana, Punta Val Fex Corvatsch Punta Saliente, 3,048 Saliente, Punta Bernina Pass Surlej, 3,188 Piz Val Fedoz Maloja Pass Val Roseg MALOJA Swiss National Park Lej da Silvaplauna SILS SURLEJ ST. MORITZ BAD Lej da PONTRESINA Champfèr SILVAPLANA Lake St.Moritz CHAMPFÈR ST. MORITZ DORF Julier Pass Corviglia ➞ ZERNEZ LA PUNT CELERINA CINUOS-CHEL SAMEDAN CHAMUES-CH S-CHANF ZUOZ BEVER CHAPELLA MADULAIN ENGADIN Magazin WINTER –––––– 19/20 North p. 18 06 INTRODUCTION 14 Müravglius A valley of winter marvels 18 SKI 20 Power of powder 22 The dream of endless winter The freerider Lucas Swieykowski spends all his life in one season 30 Skiing for all Fun on the pistes and adventure off-piste 34 CRAFT 36 A tool conquers the world 38 Special Fex Fire, steel and a touch of wizardry: the legendary blades from the Val Fex 48 Hand-crafted Unique artefacts of wood, stone and glass p. 82 50 ICE 52 / all others: Filip Zuan Filip / all others: Song of the ice 54 Black magic A rare wonder of nature: experience black ice on skates p. 50 62 Frozen valley Icy experiences 66 CULINARIA 68 Colourful art of the cocktail Photo Culinaria: Gasthaus Spinas Gasthaus Culinaria: Photo / 70 Lemon balm & peppermint On the trail of the Hugo in the Val Bever 78 A valley to savour Gastronomic flights of fancy 82 CULTURA 84 Swiss pioneering spirit aims high 86 Floating in heaven Ingenious engineers Photo Family: Lyceum Alpinum Zuoz Alpinum Lyceum Family: Photo trace a route to the skies / 96 Riding high Cable cars, funiculars and more 98 FAMILY 100 High school Moritz, Andreas Pedrett Andreas Moritz, 102 A magical spell on life’s journey Where young minds from all over the world gain wisdom 110 Family-friendly Adventures for all the family 114 PINBOARD 114 A gallery of ideas for magical winter holidays Dokumentationsbibliothek St. Dokumentationsbibliothek in the Engadin, with even more activities, restaurants, accommodation and cultural p. 98 p. 66 p. 34 attractions Photo Cultura: Cultura: Photo 138 Summer preview All about wood Contents ENGADIN Magazine WINTER Contents 6 7 Photo: Keystone, mauritius images, clickalps images, mauritius Keystone, Photo: In the moonlight: the church of SanContents Gian in Celerina. ENGADIN Magazine WINTER Contents 8 9 As if dusted with icing sugar: nature around Zuan Filip Photo: the cross-country ski trail near San Gian, ContentsCelerina. ENGADIN Magazine WINTER Contents 10 11 Photo: Roberto Moiola, stock.adobe.com Moiola, Roberto Photo: A visit from Jack Frost: icicles adorn the walkway onContents Lake Sils. ENGADIN Magazine WINTER Contents 12 13 Photo: Christian Brandstaetter Christian Photo: Zuan Filip Photo: Beacon for culture lovers: the Red Tower onContents the Julier Pass. ENGADIN Magazine WINTER Contents 14 15 Legend of the Müravglius Morteratsch Glacier How the mighty glacier A valley of winter marvels acquired its name: Capricornus Long ago, two young people – Annetta, a prosperous farmer’s daughter, and Aratsch, a herdsman – fell in love on an alpine pasture. Scorpius Sagittarius Her parents forbade the union as long as Aratsch had no wealth, so he travelled abroad to seek his fortune as a soldier. Horse-drawn sleigh rides What could be more charming and romantic than a cosy ride in a horse-drawn sleigh through the snowy Engadin? Snugly wrapped in blankets, As Annetta waited for her lover Indus passengers explore the wide plateau of frozen lakes to come back, she suffered Ara or the idyllic side valleys, admiring the sparkling scenery as it glides gently by. The muffled thud of so much from loneliness and Grus the horses’ hooves on the snow, the animals’ soft uncertainty that she died snorting and the jangling of the harnesses are the of a broken heart. only sounds that break the stillness of the white When Aratsch returned and The fairy-tale Val Bever surroundings. Along certain routes, the horse- learned of Annetta’s death, Pavo In summer, the charming drawn sleighs offer an “omnibus” service, running he rode up to the pasture and Fairy-Tale Trail winds along the to a timetable; passengers may also book sleighs spurred on his horse to make idyllic Val Bever from Bever to for private rides, with a wide choice of itineraries. one last leap – into a ravine. Spinas; in winter, a delightful winter walk leads along the same i route through the snow-blanket- Mort ed forest. Observant visitors may An enchanting experience of winter: Aratsch! well spot animal tracks in the snow; no one, however, will miss Horse-drawn sleigh rides in the Engadin Find full information on routes and operators at Annetta’s spirit could not accept the giant sculptures along the engadin.ch/sleigh-rides that her lover had died. She trail, all created by local artists. haunted the meadows, where people could hear her cry “Mort Heavenly sight: Aratsch!” (“Aratsch is dead!”) conditions in the Spirits of the mountains Sparkling star-filled skies Engadin are ideal The new tenant drove away Anyone who lifts their eyes to the heavens on a clear night in the Engadin will be for star-gazing. A mythical creature and two iconic birds have given their names Annetta’s wailing ghost, only to bewitched by the sight. Because of the valley’s high altitude and its great distance from to two mountains, an alpine col and their associated ski areas. receive a curse in return. cities, the starry skies here are spectacular. Visitors interested in exploring the secrets The pasture became ever more The Corvatsch, whose summit culminates at 3,451 m, is named of the night sky and getting to know the constellations will enjoy the tours and talks desolate until it was eventually organised at the Samedan observatory by a welcoming local association, the “Engadin after the “great raven”; Corviglia means “Alpine chough”; and the swallowed up under a thick Friends of Astronomy”. Diavolezza, a col at 2,978 m, translates as “she-devil”. layer of ice: the Morteratsch engadiner-astrofreunde.ch Glacier. Introduction ENGADIN Magazine WINTER Introduction 17 Advertising in Meteor showers On some nights there are so many shooting stars that you can barely the Engadin keep up making a wish December December January April for each one. Tell guests in the valley about your products and services 13 – 14 21 – 22 3 – 4 22 – 23 with an advertisement in the Engadin magazine. Top 5: winter bucket list Five things you simply Distribution have to experience in the Engadin, in the Engadin winter: Switzerland, Germany and Wrap up snugly and Scandinavia. ride a horse-drawn Float through the air sleigh into the Val Fex. Just like the great raven after page 15 which the Corvatsch is named, visitors can glide silently through Ski by the light the skies under a paraglider: of the full moon on Muottas Muragl: magical a chance to admire the glittering the Diavolezza. Samedan – Few views can be as breathtaking as landscape of frozen lakes and page 32 those from Muottas Muragl, accessible to all by snow-capped peaks from a funicular: you feel as if the whole valley lies at your new perspective, held aloft Skate on a feet. In the evening, when the lights of the villages by the fresh and bracing winter frozen lake. way below echo the sparkling stars high above, a mountain air. page 54 trip up the mountain promises an especially malojawind.ch magical experience. On full-moon nights, visitors Drink the original can join a guided snowshoe walk, followed by a Hugo cocktail at glass of wine and some local specialities in the the Gasthaus Spinas. panoramic restaurant: a taste of heaven on earth. page 70 engadin.ch/muottas-muragl Ride the historical i Muottas Muragl Winter walking on Muottas Muragl funicular. On one of the three winter walking paths or along page 86 The magazine is aimed Interesting stories the snowshoe trail, suitable also for novices. at people with style, and information from engadin.ch/muottas-muragl/winter-idyll curiosity and a sense of the Engadin summer Full of Christmas charm adventure. and winter, twice a year. Hot mulled wine, gingerbread, Advent treats and all kinds A place of special energy of gift ideas, large and small: Certain places seem to radiate a special energy: the Engadin is the Christmas markets that take place on December weekends certainly one of them.